The Concorde is a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a
supersonic transport (SST). It was a product of an Anglo-French
government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of
Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation. First
flown in 1969, Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued for
27 years. Among other destinations, Concorde flew regular
transatlantic flights from London Heathrow (British Airways) and
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Air France) to New York JFK and
Washington Dulles, profitably flying these routes at record speeds,
in less than half the time of other airliners. With only 20
aircraft built, the development phase represented a substantial
economic loss. Additionally, Air France and British Airways were
subsidised by their governments to buy the aircraft. As a result of
the type’s only crash on 25 July 2000, economic effects
arising from the 11 September 2001 attacks, and other factors,
operations ceased on 24 October 2003. The last retirement flight
occurred on 26 November 2003.[3] Regarded by many as an aviation
icon, Concorde has acquired an unusual nomenclature for an
aircraft. In common usage in the United Kingdom, the type is known
as "Concorde" rather than "the Concorde" or "a Concorde".